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CURRICULUM VITAE OF DR. G. FRANKLIN

PERSONAL PROFILE

Name : G. Franklin
Father's Name : M. Gregory
Date of Birth : 27.02.1971
Nationality : Indian
Religion : Christian
Professional language : English
Marital status : Married

ADDRESS FOR COMMUNICATION

Dr.G. Franklin, Post Box 420, Lab No: 7,
College of Agriculture and Food Sciences,
King Faisal University,
Hofuf, Al-Hassa 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Phone: 00966-35800000 (extn) 1843
e-mail : gfranklin71@yahoo.com, gfranklin71in@yahoo.co.in

ACADEMIC PROFILE AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Post Doctoral Fellow (2002-till date) Working as a full time researcher in the field of Plant Genetic Engineering. This project deals with genetic transformation of date palm (Phoenix dactyfolia)
and is being carriedout at Datepalm Research Center
of King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia Post Doctoral
Fellow (1999-2001) Worked as a full time researcher in
the field of Plant Genetic Engineering. This project was awarded by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India through Indian Institute of Science, which dealt with the standardization of efficient regeneration and Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation
protocols for eggplant. High frequency regeneration from all the explants and transformation with GUS-INT have been standardized and confirmed by molecular analyses. Cry 1AC (insect resistant) gene was
also introduced successfully.

Ph.D (1999) in the field of Plant Biotechnology (Tissue Culture & Entomology) from University of Madras, Chennai, India.The thesis entitled "In vitro studies in Pisum sativum L., Vigna mungo L. Hepper and Cajanus cajan L. Millsp." was highly commended. This project specialized in plant tissue culture and transformation was undertaken with the help of a Senior Research Fellowship awarded by CSIR, Govt
of India and carriedout under the guidance of Prof. S. Ignacimuthu. This work dealt with creating Bruchid resistant pigeonpea plants through Agrobacterium mediated genetic introduction of alpha amylase
inhibitor gene into the target species. Regeneration systems for three pulse crops namely Pisum sativum (pea), Vigna mungo and Cajanus cajan has been standardized. Transgenic calli were also induced successfully.

M.Phil., (1997) passed with distinction (82% marks) in Botany from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India Specialization in Tissue culture. Thesis work entitled "Multiple shoot induction and callus regeneration of Cajanus cajan" was carriedout at the biotechnology unit of St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, India

M.Sc., (1995) passed with first class (71% marks) in Botany from Manonmanium Sundaranar University, Tinnelveli, India. Specialization in Plant Tissue culture. Dissertation entitled "The influence of
plant growth regulators and commercial vitamins on regeneration of selected plants invitro". Regeneration of shoots was achieved in Acorus calamus and Rosa hybrida.

B.Sc., (1992) passed with first class (76% marks) in Botany from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India.

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

* Senior Research Fellowship awarded by CSIR, New Delhi, India
(1998-1999)
* Post Doctoral Fellowship awarded by Dept of Biotechnology Govt of
India through Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
(1999-2001)
* Winner of 2001 Student Travel Award from Society for In Vitro
Biology, USA
* Science and Engineering Research Council Young Scientist award for the project proposal entitled " Bruchid resistant pigeonpea and lepidopteran resistant brinjal plants through Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation" from Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India (2002)

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

* Plant tissue culture
* Agrobacterium- mediated genetic transformation and analyses of transgenic plants at molecular level
* Biochemical analyses of plants (primary and secondary
metabolites)
* Insect culture (pests like Helicoverpa, Callosobruchus etc) and
evaluation of their biological performance at different conditions

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

Ignacimuthu, S., Franklin, G., and Melchias, G., 1997. Multiple shoot formation and in vitro fruiting of Vigna mungo L. Hepper, Curr. Sci., 73: 733-735

Franklin, G., Jeyachandran, R., Melchias, G., and Ignacimuthu, S., 1998. Multiple shoot induction and regeneration of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) cv. Vamban 1 from apical and axillary meristem. Curr. Sci., 74: 936-937.

Ignacimuthu, S., and Franklin, G., 1999. Regeneration of plantlets from cotyledon and embryonal axes explants of Vigna mungo L. Hepper. Plant Cell, Tiss. Org. Cult., 55:75-78.

Franklin, G., and Ignacimuthu, S., 1999. Regeneration of pea (Pisum sativum L.) from seedling explants via organogenic nodule-like structures. Ind. J. Exp. Biol., 37: 1119-1112.

Franklin, G., Jeyachandran, R., and Ignacimuthu, S., 1999. Factors affecting regeneration of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) from mature embryonal axes. Plant Growth Regulation. 30: 31-36

Franklin, G., and Ignacimuthu, S., 2000. Differential morphogenetic responses of cotyledonary explants of Vigna mungo L. Hepper. Biologia Plantarum. 43: 157-160.

Franklin, G., and Ignacimuthu, S., 2000. Factors affecting in vitro flowering and fruiting of multiple shoots of green pea (Pisum sativum L.). Euphytica. 5: 65-73.

Franklin, G., and Lakshmi Sita, G., 2001. Genetic transformation in two important vegetable crops: Hot chillies (Capsicum annuum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), In: Plant genetic engineering Vol :3, Improvement of commercial plants; Eds Rana P Singh and Pawan K Jaiwal, New Delhi (in press).

Franklin, G., and Lakshmi Sita, G., 2001. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) by using root explants. Transgenic Res., (under revision)

Franklin, G., and Lakshmi Sita, G., High efficiency plant regeneration from root explants of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Plant Cell Reports (communicated)

PAPERS PRESENTED IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

Franklin, G., and Ignacimuthu S., 1997 (November 20-22). Callus induction and shoot organogenesis in Cajanus cajan L. Millsp. National Conference on impact of Biotechnology and Modern Horticulture on Rural Development, Jadavpur University, Calcutta,India (Oral).

Franklin, G., Jeyachandran, R., and Ignacimuthu, S., 1999 (July). Factors affecting regeneration of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) from mature embryonal axes. XVI International Botanical Congress, St. Louis, USA. (Poster)

Franklin, G., and Lakshmi Sita, G., 2001 (June 16-20). High efficiency transformation of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. 2001 Congress on In Vitro Biology, St. Louis, USA. (Oral)

FUTURE PLANS AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

It is my ambition to apply the expertise that I have aquired in tissue culture and transformation to various economically important crop plants. I wish to keep myself updated with Bioinformatics, Molecular mechanisms of gene silencing and other recent developments in the field of Plant Molecular Biology. To charactarise the native GUS expression at molecular level in plants belonging to the genus Vigna, to study the impact of genetically modified foodstuffs in animal models and humans and to publish novel articles in prestigious journals like Nature, Science, Cell and PNAS and to get patents for
Research findings.

REFERENCES

Rev. Prof. S. Ignacimuthu s.j,
Vice Chancellor, Bharathiar University,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, INDIA,
Phone : 0091-0422-422222,
Cell : 9843079010
e-mail: imuthu@hotmail.com

Dr. P. Rajendran Menon, Associate Professor (Horticulture)
Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (Kerala Agricultural University),
College of Horticulture, KAU. P. O.,
Vellanikkara, Trichur Dist 680656, Kerala, India
Phone: 0091- 487-370822 Ext. 352,
0091- 487-371582 (O)
0091- 494-686141 (R)
e-mail: menon_r15@yahoo.com

DECLARATION

All the above mentioned details are true to the best of my knowledge
and belief

Dr. G. Franklin